The invention relates to the display of video or still image content on electronic displays. More particularly, the invention relates to a network of thousands of large, high resolution roadside electronic billboard displays, and an associated system that permits retail stores to place advertisements on the displays while tying the advertisement content into the content of point of purchase displays at their stores.
Consumer product advertising takes many forms, such as television commercials, newspaper and magazine advertisements, mailings, point-of-sale displays, outdoor billboards, etc.
Using current advertising media, advertisers engage in a constant struggle to efficiently use their budgets to most effectively reach their geographic and demographic targets.
Focusing on the outdoor advertising component of advertising by consumer product companies, it is well known that outdoor billboards have traditionally taken the form of single-message displays formed of printed sheets or painted surfaces containing the advertising content adhered to a flat backing. This time-honored outdoor advertising technique has remained essentially unchanged throughout the twentieth century. The high cost of printing, transporting and mounting a message on a conventional billboard has dictated that the same message remain in place for a considerable period of time. Thus, a conventional billboard cannot be readily changed to reflect current events within the geographic area of the billboard. Additionally, the content on a conventional billboard tends to become essentially xe2x80x9cinvisiblexe2x80x9d as a part of the landscape after its content has been in place for a relatively short period of time, especially to commuters and others who regularly pass the billboard. Beyond the above problems with cost, single-message content, lack of content changeover capability, and the like, conventional outdoor billboards have come under increasing criticism because in their large numbers, and often tattered condition, they clutter highways with a distasteful form of visual xe2x80x9cpollutionxe2x80x9d. A reduction in the number of billboards and improvement of the appearance and profitability of those that remain, if accomplished while increasing the overall advertising impact afforded by outdoor advertising, would please virtually everyone.
The use of electronic billboards has been suggested, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,612,741. However, there is no electronic billboard network in operation whereby commercial advertisers may directly place ads onto selected billboards at selected times through direct access to a master network. Such a network, properly designed and operated, promises to overcome the numerous disadvantages currently associated with the outdoor advertising industry, while also meeting the above needs of consumer products advertisers.
Turning now to point of purchase advertising, it is well known that various retail stores such as department stores, fast food restaurants, building supply stores, and the like, utilize point of purchase displays to inform customers of product specifications and pricing and to promote periodic special value or xe2x80x9csalexe2x80x9d items. These point of purchase displays usually take the form of inexpensive paper product displays that are mounted adjacent to products being promoted, or displays located in a general store location (such as the entrance) to communicate more general information to consumers. Other forms of point of purchase displays may be used, such as electronic displays, for example, displays utilizing xe2x80x9celectronic inkxe2x80x9d technology. Current product advertising techniques do not effectively tie point of purchase displays to other forms of advertising, particularly to outdoor advertising.
The present invention, in one broad aspect, is a system that permits a commercial advertiser with retail store(s) to place video or still-image advertisements at selected times on a network of multiple roadside electronic displays, and to tie the roadside advertisements into point of purchase displays at the advertiser""s retail stores.
Commercial advertisers, such as retail store chains and the advertising agents that represent them, directly access a network of multiple, large, high resolution electronic displays located in high traffic areas and directly send their own advertisements electronically to the network to be displayed at locations and times selected by the advertisers. In preferred embodiments, this implementation of the invention includes a central information processing center that permits customers to review a schedule of times and electronic display locations that are available for placement of advertisements, and also permits customers to purchase available times at selected electronic display locations for placement of their advertising content. The customer then transmits his video or still image advertising content to the processing center where the content is reviewed for appropriateness and then transmitted to the customer-selected electronic display(s). The electronic displays preferably are large (e.g., 23xc3x9733xc2xd ft.) flat LED displays that are driven by their own video or image servers. In conjunction with the placement of advertisements on the roadside electronic displays (billboards), the advertiser also provides point of purchase displays at each retail store with content that ties into the roadside advertisements. For example, both the roadside advertisement and the point of purchase displays may focus on specific special value or xe2x80x9csalexe2x80x9d items, with the point of purchase displays repeating the sale information and directing customers to the store location(s) where the sale items may be found. The point of purchase displays may be electronic displays, most preferably displays employing electronic ink technology. Electronic point of purchase displays may be incorporated into the same network as the roadside electronic displays or they may be operated by a private network controlled by the commercial advertiser who owns the retail stores.